Michigan Republican Congressman Peter Meijer was one of only nine freshman GOP lawmakers to vote to enforce the Nov. 3 election results. He told CNBC’s “The News with Shepard Smith” that this could put his life in danger.
“We realize we have cast a vote that jeopardized our security and I expect there is likely to be more political violence in the future,” said Meijer. “So my expectation and the expectation of some of the people I speak to who are trying to vote our conscience on this, there will be people trying to kill us, and that’s something we have to struggle with every day.”
Meijer added that that threat of violence, in turn, has forced and will continue to intimidate some of his Republican colleagues into voting on the side of the Trump administration. In an opinion piece, Meijer wrote that a fellow lawmaker objected to President-elect Joe Biden’s victory only because they feared President Trump’s supporters would find out about his or her family.
“That weighed on the colleague’s conscience in mind, and the last thing that person said to me, concerns about the safety of that person’s family, should that person vote to certify the election,” Meijer said. “That’s where the rhetoric has gotten us. That’s the degree of fear that’s been created.”
The House of Representatives is now on the cusp of impeaching Trump for an unprecedented second time. House Democrats introduced an article of impeachment, accusing Trump of inciting the rebellious mob that stormed the Capitol last week. Five people were killed, including a police officer.
The article charges that Trump “has shown that he will continue to pose a threat to national security, democracy and the constitution if he remains in office.” The impeachment vote is scheduled for Wednesday. Meijer said he is “strongly considering” voting to impeach Trump.
“I’ve had colleagues who objected and expressed concerns about the timing, expressed concerns about the process, expressed concerns about the reception,” Meijer explained to host Shepard Smith. “I haven’t heard anyone comment on the merits and I think the president’s actions last Wednesday disqualify him and make him unfit for office.”
Sources said minority leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) told House Republicans in a conference call that President Trump bears some responsibility for the deadly riot. Meijer said the future of the GOP is at stake. He added that the Republican Party must recognize the lie that November 3 was a landslide victory for Trump, and that many Republican voters have been misled by those in power.
“Instead of telling the people of America and their supporters what to hear, we’ve had too many politicians telling them what they wanted to hear,” Meijer said. “That kind of reactive leadership is not going to make the Republican Party ever become a party that is believed to rule this country again, and we have to fix it.”